• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

For the Crust

• Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or two knives, cut cold butter into flour mixture until it has a sandy texture and forms fine crumbs. Stir in the milk and vanilla until crumbs are moistened. Press two-thirds of the crumble into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes.

Baking

• Remove the crust from the oven and spread the jam over the top. If necessary, warm the jam in the microwave until it is spreadable. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 streusel over the top of the jam layer; bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden brown.

Cooling

• Remove the bars from the oven and cool completely before cutting. Because I can be a tad impatient — and my guys will devour them too soon, I like to refrigerate the bars until they become solid enough to cut. But… if you’re like me and can’t wait, sometimes, they’re kind of good warm too. Add some melty vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat. Otherwise, cut into 9 squares when cooled.